We all know that education is the cornerstone of a person’s intellectual growth, opening future doors and opportunities. But in Canada, when students want help, they have limited places to turn to.

The challenge of catching up to their peers is then intensified when the high cost of tutoring can be out of reach for many students from lower income backgrounds, resulting in achievement gaps.

Licensed to Learn (L2L) was created in 2002 to close this achievement gap by providing struggling students with support when they need it. Through a flexible and collaborative program under the guidance of educators (each with over 25 years of experience), L2L is enabling these students to receive tutoring from their peers. In turn, the student mentors receive the satisfaction of supporting and teaching their peers while also achieving personal growth.

IDRF is proud that L2L currently has nearly 90 active school programs across the GTA. The impact among students and volunteers has been tremendous: 52,000 volunteer hours (students and educators) in the 2016-17 school year and 362,000 total hours of positive youth engagement over the last 15 years have been logged, respectively. In addition, over 20,000 students have been reached over the full span of the program. Both peer students and mentors alike have reported that they have been greatly satisfied with the program, with 95% of the students recommending the L2L program to their peers.

By joining us at our Golf Tournament on September 10th, you were instrumental at enabling young people to receive the necessary academic support that they need to succeed and thrive.

Nelson Mandela once said that there can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children. In light of Mandela’s philosophy on the importance of children, it is essential for us to strive to protect their rights and help them to achieve their potential.

One way that you can honour Nelson Mandela’s 67-year-old fight for social justice is by devoting 67 minutes of your time to supporting others in need, like vulnerable children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) in Lesotho and South Africa. Children who live with CP in these areas have limited care options, due to insufficient knowledge of this condition and a grave shortage of resources and quality healthcare. Our Malamulele Onward project teaches parents to conduct essential physical therapy so they can help improve the mobility of their children and their well-being.

This Mandela Day, you can make a difference: Join us to provide support and a higher quality of life for some of the most vulnerable children in the world.

A combination of hot and dry conditions, wind gusts, and lightning storms have led to a series of devastating forest fires that have ravaged large swathes of forest in the Cariboo, Kamloops and southeast regions of British Columbia. British Columbia has declared a state of emergency as more than 54,000 people have been forced from their homes. Fire containment efforts are ongoing, with over 1,000 firefighters battling the 230 forest fires burning across the province.

Our ask: You helped us raise $250,000 for the people of Fort McMurray, Alberta in their time of need and now we are asking again for your support. Join us to provide critical relief support for the affected people of Cariboo, Kamloops and the southeast regions of British Columbia.

This Ramadan alone, I am pleased to announce that with your support we made a mark in the lives of many vulnerable people.
Here’s what we were able to accomplish! Together we:

Distributed 1 Million Meals in Ramadan in East Africa

Provided 10,500 people in Somalia with clean drinking water for 1 year. This was made possible by your donations of 1500 water filtration kits.

Provided clean drinking water and food aid in Gaza, Syria, India and Pakistan

Provided educational and mental health supports for orphans and vulnerable children in countries including Lebanon and Guyana.

So dear friends and supporters, I cannot thank you enough for all that you have done to support some of the world’s most vulnerable people. We are truly honoured for your faith in IDRF and the work we continue to do.

IDRF is distributing food and water to 15,000 people in the Baidoa (Bay) and Garasbaley (Banadir) areas. Water is provided daily and each family can take 60 L of water. Food is provided in parcels; each parcel has enough food for a whole month for a family.

What is the Be Remarkable Campaign?
By supporting IDRF, this Ramadan “Be Remarkable”. You can do this by supporting any of our
1mark campaigns.

1 Million Meals initiative provides three meals a day and clean water for individuals and
families in famine affected regions of Ease Africa. Three years of drought conditions has
left nearly 13 million people in Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan and Ethiopia at risk of
starvation. An approximate 600,000 children under five will soon suffer from extreme
malnutrition.

1 Drop initiative seeks to provide access to clean water to those impacted by drought and
conflict such as Palestine, India, Pakistan and Syria. In many parts of the world, women
and children walk over 10 kilometres, multiple times a day, to bring clean water to their
families. This includes packaging and sending out water kits that can be life-saving.

1 Seed initiative seeks to provide farmers in Palestine with the supports they need to gain
access to water and to seeds so that they can grow produce, which IDRF purchases to
support local families which then benefits local farmers.

1 Child initiative supports orphan sponsorship program for vulnerable children and gives
them access to education, mental health support and clean water so that they can
construct stronger futures for themselves including in Guyana, Pakistan and India. The
most innocent and vulnerable among us are the children.

After three years of drought conditions have devastated crops and livestock in the East African region, nearly 13 million people in Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan and Ethiopia are at risk of starvation with an approximate 600,000 children under five who will soon suffer from extreme malnutrition.

On April 9th, IDRF is committed to responding to this crisis by launching its One Million Meals Campaign at the Bring Hope to East Africa fundraising dinner at Woodbine Banquet Hall in Etobicoke.

IDRF is currently on the ground in Kenya, providing emergency food assistance and 3 meals a day to those affected as well trucking in clean water. With the support of generous donors, IDRF will continue to expand its emergency relief efforts into Somalia where food parcels, such as rice, flour, sugar, oil, and dried vegetables as well as water trucking and water purification kits will be distributed throughout the Baidoa (Bay Region) and Grarasbaley (Banaadir Region).

The One Million Meals Campaign is aimed at providing a million meals to those affected by famine, drought and/or those living in emergency and war-torn areas of the world. We are beginning this campaign with a focus on East Africa, as the situation there is dire and the need is great.